Ross Johnson

I've audited over 100 websites before redesigning them to assess why users aren't converting. There are 9 common reasons, detailed below 👇:

LLM optimization ≠ SEO. Same fundamentals, different rules. LLMs reward brand mentions, reviews, and hyper-specific content—not just long form content and links. If you're only optimizing for Google, you're already behind.

Google Ads is evolving with AI Max for Search, automating targeting, bidding, and more. While this saves time, it also means less control and transparency. Strong strategy and clear messaging remain essential. Stay proactive to navigate this shift effectively.

Is your brand being recommended by AI? Try this: Start a fresh chat, act as your ideal customer, and ask for recommendations. If your brand isn't mentioned, explore why and how to improve your presence.

Today we're sending the Wooping Shop Health plugin for #Woocommerce out to our early access users! Want access? It's not too late to sign up on wooping.io

Remember how I told y'all I have some news coming today? Here we go! Today, I'm announcing 2 new tools for decentralizing WordPress plugins and themes. Part 1: Wormhole Sync - a tool for syncing/merging WordPress plugins/themes from external sources. github.com/JeffMatson/wor… Currently, Wormhole Sync will store all data to a PostgreSQL database and files to an S3 (or compatible) object store. Part 2: The Wormhole API - a drop-in replacement for the WordPress plugin/theme repositories. As a drop-in replacement, it can be used seamlessly from inside any WordPress admin. Users would see no difference. Behind the scenes, the Wormhole API is doing a few things, including: - Delivering plugins/theme installs/updates from multiple sources. - Aggregating search results and dependencies. - Full-text search within WordPress - Checking file integrity, comparing across multiple versions available (including other Wormhole instances). + (a lot more that will be announced when Wormhole releases) While the Wormhole API is already functioning well within my development environments and on serverless providers, I have some more fine-tuning to do before I unleash it. Once the Wormhole API is ready, anyone will be able to spin up their own instance. Additionally, a publicly-accessible instance (or two) will be available for anyone to use. Check out Wormhole Sync and let me know what you think! Stay tuned for more in the near future!

@ezsmith397 @brettatkin getkirby.com has been recommended to me a couple of times, and it looks pretty compelling.

Yes, been looking both of them -- they both look really nice for doing CMS sites in the more "old school" way with the front-end being 100% custom. I'd love that for small, brochure sites without much functionality -- not so much for anything more complex (due to losing plugins like GF, FacetWP, WS Form, etc)

Been exploring some other CMS/website building platforms lately. All have pros and cons, but hate to see really ugly markup like this though 🙁... Sorta kills any interest right away for me.

@AlexStandiford You'll have a lot more impact helping multiple companies with their technical challenges and goals; this was a great decision!

So, personal update. I decided to quit my job, which means I have some openings for contract work. If you're looking for a talented WordPress developer with a proven track record of launching, and maintaining high-caliber WordPress plugins, message me! alexstandiford.com/articles/perso…

@VivaLaSeth @JustinFerriman Competition is good for consumers. Without competition, there is no incentive for improving products. Check out Drupal's decreasing market share to see how well that business model works.

@JustinFerriman this whole thread is wholly inaccurate. Plugin authors should have collaborated in the spirit of Open Source (#FOSS) - but instead they created competing products. This doesn't exist in Drupal. Check out their modules and their business model.

@benswrite Probably @GeneratePress and @GenerateBlocks. I find that GeneratePress has the flexibility to execute my designs without being overloaded with unnecessary extra blocks or bells and whistles. a great example of essentialism and restraint.

🙋‍♂️Q. You have $500 to spend on redesigning your WordPress website. What do you buy? A theme, a page builder, a block plugin, etc. What would you use/why? Asking because I'm interested. Plus I hate list posts, would prefer real-world examples! Pls RT 4 reach!

@natmiletic The only strategy I’ve found to help (not fix) consistently is being very specific on scope and quick to discuss change orders

Website project estimation is really hard I still over and underestimate projects all the time, and I have been doing this for almost 20 years 😂

If you’re thinking about building a custom block, ask yourself: Does this make more sense as a block pattern? Can I use other blocks to accomplish the result I want? Don’t reinvent the wheel. If you can plug in existing blocks, do so! It’s much easier to maintain over time.

They say, "You can't create more time." I disagree! Want to learn the most effective way to create tremendous impact and be wildly productive? I'm going to give you two techniques that, when implemented, give you more time every single day.

Don’t confuse activity, productivity, and progress. Activity = Doing stuff Productivity = Doing stuff efficiently Progress = Doing the right stuff Never underestimate the impact of focus over efficiency.

@thewprockstar Congrats man. It’s not bragging, something to be proud of

$234,650 in the past 12 months... Building websites with WordPress + Elementor. I don't post this to brag, but to inspire others of what's possible when you hone your craft & keep pushing. Could have never imagined getting here years ago without inspiration myself. #gratefulAF

@RobCairns You’re not alone. There will be better days soon.

This day has turned into a negative one. Remember we can not always have a good day nor things go right all the time. We just need to breath and realize this.

@spencer_labadie @JustinFerriman Mostly personal life events

@JustinFerriman @3pointross Interesting, do you know if it was burnout or new events on the horizon that led to the decision?

@mr_chrishinds You didn’t like my email??

I had to click on “no, I don’t want to stay healthy” to close a popup and I realized why people don’t like marketers.

@chrisrickard Great advice. Also keep in mind it will take time for them to become fully productive so there is a risk in not hiring soon enough.